Armored electric conductor



Oct. 28, 1930. I sc E 1,779,951

ARMORED ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR Filed Nov. 27, 1928 1 Vim-mil fd mfsca we AT R 25 casing; a still I forming Patented Oct.- 28, 1930 UNIT D STATES EWIN I.

PM 'OFHC 5 a v EIIQER, or JAMAICA, m YOZ.K, ASSIGNOB. T EASTERN TUBE a TOOL so, me, or Bnooxmm, NEW 2031:, A oonrom'rron or NEW You 1 moim'n morale conmrc'roa 1 Application filed l iovember a, 1928 Serial No. 322,137.

. This invention relates to what afe known as armored electric "conductors in which the insulated wire or wires are contained within an outer metallic casing formed by spirally M winding a metallic strip and fashioning such stripto interlock the separate windin s to permit the flexure of said casing; an the obect of the invention is to provide the in.-. su ated conductor or conductors with protector coverings, sheaths or ]ackets, one consisting of a braided body and the other of afwrapping spirally'wound upon the braided jacket: with adjacent edges of the wrapping overlapped to interlock one wrapping with the other to provide a continuous enclosure for the conductor regardless ofthe degree of flexure to which the same is subjected; a further object being to provide means for reinforcing and shielding the conductor or conductors at 'the outer severed end of the armored .outer casing to prevent the. ruptur ing of the grotective'casmgs of the conductor or con uctors and to further prevent short'circuitin between the conductor and f lrtherpbj ect being to provide a .reinfoi'cing and shielding means in the of abody and insulating material adapte to be positioned between the outer armored casing and the spirally wrapped Q 3Q casing or jacket on the conductor or conductors, said insulated body having a pronged end or-ends facilitatin the lacement there ofin the position state and in adapted to flex or expand thefree, end oft e outer ar--' 85 mored casing in the operationbf lacin the same in position','which in-turm rmly supports the conductor or conductors withinthe outer casing at the free end thereof; and 1 with these andptherobjects in viewythe invention consists in an armored condubtonof the class and for the purpose specified which is simplein construction, ,et ficient in use and which is constructed as hereinafter described andclaimed.

- The invention is fully disclosed the following specification, of which the accompanying 'drawin forms a part, in which the separate parts 0 m. improvement are designated" by suitable re erence characters-in eachof.

the views, and in which Fig, 4 is a view similarto Fig. 1 showing a modified form of covering. Y Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig.3 showing another form of, covering.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the reinforcing ploy. 7

Fig. 7 is a perspective vievv of theshield shown in Fig. 6 formed for use.

and insulating shields which I em- Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a slight modification.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a blank from which we modified form of shield is made.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of conductor and illustrating the use oi the blank shown inhFig. 9.

} Fig. 11 isa view similar to Fig. 10 showing another form ofcondu'ctor and also illustrating the blank shown in Fig. 9 ;--and,

' Fig. 12 is a 'view similar to another'modification. r

In Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive I have shown an armored conductor comprising an outer ar mored caslng 15 m WhlCh is contained two conductor strands or wires 17 and 18 first Fig. 5showing enclosed in a rubber casing or jacket 17 and '18 and then in a braided casing or 'acket 17"' and 18". -Thecross section of the conductors isseen in Figs 2 of thedrawing.

The armored casing may be produced in any desiredmanner and of any suitable construction, the one shown being merely to illus trate one application of the invention. This" cas'ing is formed as is customary from a metallic strip which is fashioned to a-predetermined cross sectional form and spirally wound in overlapped interlocking relation. In Figs. 1; 2 and 3 of the drawing, the conductors .17 and 18 fivith the two coverings orjackets 17-.18 and 17 18" thereon are enclosed in another protective casing or jacket 19 which'consists of a comparatlvely wide 109 strip spirally wrapped around both conduc tors, the separate conductors being arran ed .in a twisted or spiral state, and one hal of the strip 19 from which the casin 19. is formed overlies the adjacent half of t previously wound portion of the strip soas to permit the fiexure ofthe conductor without rupturingthe casing 19 or without parting or separating the separate coils or wmdings' of the strip.

Instead of winding a single and comparatively wide strip upon thecqnductors to form f the casing 19, I may wind a plurality of comparatively narrow strips 20 to form a casing or protector covering 20 such as seen in Fi 4. Each strip is preferably wound to over y a-portion of an ad'acent strip as clearl seen in said figure. 1

preferably composed of paper or a prepared paper of single or multiplethickness. Further, these casings-or strips may be treated to render the same moisture and fire proof.

' This is also true of the braided covering's'l'l" and 18".

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have shown another modification wherem the two conductors with the braided casi thereonare contained in an outer braide casing or jacket 21 encircling both of theconductors and arranged between the same and the outer ar-' mored casing 15. The casin 21 may also be treated to render the same re and moisture proof. i

In Figs. and 11 of the drawing, I have shown other modifications in the general construction of the-armored conductor, and in Fi 10, I have shown three conductors 22,23

' class under consideration, itis customary an 24 arran (1 within the outer armored casin .15, eac 'of the conductors 23-24 be-. ing 0 the same construction as the conductors 17 and 18 and being enclosed in a single protector casing or jacket 25 which may be of either of the forms shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawing.

In Fig. 11, I ave shown a single conductor 26 arranged within the armored casing'fi, and this conductor is also of the same construction as eitherone of the conductors 17 and 18 and is enclwed in a protector-casing or 'acket 27 similar to either of those shown in i .-1,'4 and.5 of the drawing.

I: the use of armored conductors of the to cut ofi redeterminedlengths thereof in coupling t e conductor strands 17 and--18 with outlet boxes, electric fixtures, fittings or the like. In this practice, it isals'o tocut by means of a hack saw or other too a diagonal cut 28, across one -'of the eoilsof the outer armored casing to sever the remaining end rtion of such casing from themain body t ereof. This practice leaves a pointed-and ragged projecting corner rti'oni29niote 1 and 4 ofthe drawing.

This projecting sharp and ragged-corner 29 .ing' materia strengthen the armored conductor at the end e strip shown in igs. 1 and 2 in forming the casings 19 and are is objectionable in that it has been experienced in the use of conductors of this class that the insulated strands 17 and 18 have been pierced \to form a short circuit through the armored'outer casing 15 which is usually grounded, and this is experienced especially when part of the protective coverings or casings o the conductors proper are ruptured by the saw or other tool in severing the outer armor.

Toobviate this, I provide a guard or shield member 30 *which serves to reinforce and of the armored casing 15 thereof and to insulatethe conductor strands 17 and 18 from the grounded casing.

The shield 30 which is employed inthe construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and which is shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7 and i 8 of the.drawing consists of a cross-head body portion 31 having extending from one side thereofltwo prong members 32 which when the crosshead 31 is folded to form a cylindrical or substantially ring-like body as seen in Fig. 7 of the drawing, disposes the,

prongs 32 in opposite relation.

In the use of the shields 30, the prongs 32 .are passed into" the armored casing 15 through the recesses orchambers 33 formed at the opposite sides of the wrapped conductors by virtue of the twistin thereof, these recesses being shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the preferably composed of insulatdrawing. By forcing the shield 30 inwardly by hand or by the use of a suitable tool, the

g-like crosshead 31 will come into contact wit 1 the inner wall of the end portion of the casin .15, and serve to slightly extend the same y virtue ofthc outward inteiglal pressure until the entire ring-like-crosshead 31 has been arranged within the end of said casing,

it being preferred that the ends of the crosshead or ring body '31 overlap to a slight degree.. When in position, the sh-ield'will be located between .the outer protector casing shield or guard 30," the expansion of'the free end portion of the casing 15-is represented by the separation of .the free edge of the strip with respecttoa saw cut in the adjacent coil of. the strip as will be noted at w, in Figs.

1 and 4 of the drawing. It will be -.under-- stood at this time that the guard 30 w-ill'be held in position frictionally or under the tension of the expanded coilor winding of,

thestrip from "which the casing is formed.

; If-desired, an additional precaution or safeguard may be added to the shield structure in the form of an outwardly and backwardly extending flange portion 34, note Fig. 8 of the drawing, which fiange portion is severed at cijrcumferentially spaced intervalsfto form separate flange members 34" which will over lie the freeedge of the-last winding of the stri from which the casing 15 is formed and wil overlie the corner portion 29 thereof as willbeapparent.

In Fig. 9 of the drawing, I have shown a modified form of shield or guard comprising a crosshead ortion 36 which is adapted'to be folded or ro led into a ring or loop. At one side of the crosshead'are three extend-. ing prongs 37. 'If desired, thisform of shield or guard ma be constructed with a flange suc as that i lustrated in-Fig. 8. The type of shield shown in Fig. 9 of the drawing is designed for use'in.con'nection with conductors of the class illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 of thedrawing, and especially in Fig. 10, in

which figure, the three conductors 22, 23 and 24 wrapped in the protector casing or jacket 25 will present within the armored casing 15,-

three spaced recesses 38 in which the prongs 37 of the shield are adapted to pass in thesame manner as placing the prongs 32 in the oppositely disposed recesses 33 asin the construction shown in Fig. 2.

While the shield 35 is also preferably used in the single strand conductor as seen in Fig.

11 to'insure the expansion of the. free end of the armored casing 15, it will be apparent that the shield shown in Fig. 7 or in fact a shield such as shown in Fig. 12 may be used, it being further understood that the shield 39 which is shown in Fig; 12 ma 'be employed in connection with either of t econductors shown in- Figs; 2' and -10; of the drawings. The shield 39 is in the form of a pron ed body which is V-shaped or wedge-shape in form, having a single tapered prong 40 andthe crosshead is restricted in transverse di- With this type of shield, the same ablypositioned at the cut portion of themensions so-as to only partially encircle. the conductor or conductors contained within the protector casing employ, such for example as he casings 1-9, 20, 21, 25 and 27.

armored casing 15 or where the cut 28 is i formed therein as wellas where the ra ged and pointed edge 29 is located, theshiel be;

in preferably stamped out to form a head or shields shown may formed. 'Lheoutror cross head endof the shield 39 is also preferably provided with a ri 41 which will cooperate with the cut end of thebuter casing to' revent shifting. or displacement ofthe shie d, or t3 aid in this respect, in addition to thefrictional'or tensional engagement of the shield. It will also be apparent that thep'irongs ,of the other correspondingly is preferbackwardlyturned flange 42 adapted to overlie the free edge of the armored casing 15.

It will be understood that after the shield has been placed in position, the unravelling and severing of the protector casings 19' 20 and 21 as well as the casings 25 and 2 is facilitated, in that the shields are held firmly in position and form a stop to check the further unravelling or severing of the protector covering. It will also be noted that I maintain the full protection of the conductor strands within the ,free end portion of the armored casing thlis affording the greatest possible safety and protection to said conductor strands. l

It is also prefie rred' that the guards or shields 30, 36 and 39 be preferably treated with a suitable compound to render them fire and moisture proof, and alsoto facilitate the placement of said shields-in position, it being preferred that a wax-like or greasy compound be employed, and in some instances, these shields may be treated with-a suitable wax or parafiin to facilitate this result. It will also be understood that my invention is not necessarily limited toany particular form or contour of the guard or shield members employed, nor to the specific armored conductors herein shown and described, and various other changes in and modifications of the construction set out may be made within the scope of the appended claims without depart-ing from the spirit of my invent-ion or sacrificing its advantages.

. Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A conductor of the class described comprising an insulated conductor strand, an outer spirallywound protector casing of insulating material, on said insulated strand,

portion of the armored casing and said outer protector casing, and'said shield comprising a pron ed body adapted to be arranged beneath t e cut portion of the armored casing.

3. A conductor of the class described comprising an insulated, conductor strand, an outer spirallywou'nd protector casing of insulating material on said insulated strand, an armored casing enclosing said last named cas-' ing,'a shield-of insulating material adapted tpbe forced into position between one end portion of the armored casing and said outer protector casing, said shield comprising,D a pronged body adapted to be arranged e neath the cut portion of the armored casing and being adapted to expand the free end.

and the outer insulating body thereof at the end ortion' of said armored casing, said shiel compris'm a split and tubular body havin a pronge end portion.

5. 1% an armored conductor of the classdescribed, a protector shield composed of insulating material and adapted .to be wedged between thearmored casing'of the conductor and the outer insulating body thereof at the end portion of said casmg, said shield comprisingasplit tubularbody having aron ed end portion, said body being treate wit a compound having ea properties.

6. In an armore con uctor comprising an outer flexible metallic casing in'lwhi'ch are arranged insulated conductor strands contained in a protector casing in such fashion as to form spaced recesses withinsaid casing and around the conductor, an insulator shield in the form of a split tubular body having prong elements at one end thereof insertable intosaid recesses and to position the split tubular portion thereof at th e fr.ee end of the armored casing to guard and insulate said end of the casing from the conductor strands contained therein.

7. A conductor'of the class described comprising an insulated conductor strand, .a spirally wound protector casing-ofinsulating material on said insulated strand, an outer armored casing enclosin said last named casin ,-a shield of insulating material adapted to forced into position between one end portion of the outer armored casing and said protector casing, and said shield serving to check and stop the unravelling of the spirally wound protector casing and facilitating the severing of said strarid at the outer endofsaidshied.

8. A; shield for use in conjunction with armored conductors of the class described comprising a pronged body of relatively rigid insulating material.

9; A shield for use in conjunction with armored conductors of the class described comprising a pronged body of relatively rigid material having insulating properties.

10. A. shield for use in conjunction with armored conductors of the class described comprising a pronged body of relatively rigid material having insulating-properties, and said body being witha compound having properties.

11. A shield for use in conjunction with.

armored conductors of the class described com rising a pronged body of relatively rigi insulating material, said body having a split tubular collar at one end, and said collar being provided with an outwardly and backwardly turned flange.

12. A shield for use in conjunction with armored conductors of the class described comprising" a pronged body of relatively rigid insulatin material, and the prong portion of said bo y'being ribbed.

13. A. shield for use in conjunction with armored conductors of the class described comprising a split tubular body of relatively rigid insulatin material, and one end portion of said bo y having spaced pron s.

14. In an armored conductor of the class described, a protector shield composed of insulatin material adapted to be wedged .be-' tween t 1e armored casing of the conductor and the outer insulating body thereof at the end portion of said armored casing, .said shield comprisin a split.and tubular body having a pronged end portion, and the other end portion of said body having an outwardly projecting annular-flange.

15. In an armored conductor comprising an outer flexible metallic casing in which are arran ed insulated conductor strands ccintaine in a protector casing in such fashion as tOx form spaced recesses within said casin and around the conductor, an insulator shiel in the form of a split tubular body having prong elements at one end thereof insertable into said recesses and to position the split tubular portion thereof at the free end of the armored casing to guard and insulate said end of the'casin from the conductor strands contained therein, said shield including an outwardly and backwardly turned flange adapted'to overly the free edge of the outer casing. A

16. In combination with an armored cable having a cable armor and an insulated conductor container within and having an end portion rojectingoutwardly from an end of said cab e armor, a shield of insulating material for protecting the projecting end portion of said insulated conductor from the abrasive action of the end of said cable armor, said shield being interposed between the insulation ofsaid conductor and the inner surface of said cable armor, and having a portion overlying the end of said cable armor and locking means formed 'on said shield for en aging said cable armor to re tain said she d in desired position.

17. In combination with an armored cable having a cable armor and an insulated conductor contained within and having an end portion projecting outwardly from an end of said cable armor, a shield of insulating material for-protecting the projecting end portion of said insulatedconductor from the abrasive action of the end of said cable armor,

' inner surface of said cable armor, and having a portion overlying the end of said cable armor and locking means formed on said shield for engaging said cable armor to retain said shield in desired position, said portion.

locking means consisting of a radially ex} tending protuberance struck outwardly from the body of said shield.

18. An insulator shield fo'i' conductors the class specified comprising a split tubular body of insulating material, the walls of the split portion being at one end of said body to form a prong end 19. An insulator shield for conductors of the class specified comprising a splittubular body of insulating material, the walls of the split portion being'beveled and curved at one end of said end portion and the other end of said body I having a radially and outwardly projecting under said cable armor,

24th day of November,

EDWIN member.

20. In combination with an armored cable having a cable armor, insulated conductors extending side by side within said cable armor and having end portions rejecting outwardly from an end of said ca le armor,

on wrapped around and additional insulat said conductors and fitting snugly within said cable armor, a shield having aconvergin said additional insulation and said cable armor, said converging end portion facilitating the ready insertion of said shield said shield having a marginal flange on its outer end portion overlym the end'of said cable armor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as" my invention I have signed my name this 928. J- SCHNEIDER.

said shield being interposed betweenthe Insulation of said conductor and the beveled and curved body to form a prong inner endportion interposed between 

